


The Cliffs of Delphi: Waiting Is Such Torment

by GreyLiliy



Series: The Cliffs Of Delphi [9]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 08:53:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1079018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Aid has decided the time is now! With an entire day of shopping planned alone for just the two of them, Doctor Ambulon is going to notice her if it kills him!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rothinsel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rothinsel/gifts).



> I had an epic RP session with [Rothinsel](http://rothinsel.tumblr.com/), and I had to (loosely) novelize it. The RP Session covers Chapters 1-3 (With Rothinsel playing First Aid, and myself as Ambulon), and Chapter 4 is my addition. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

First Aid wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, and tied the front of the thick red garment tight over her dress.

The fabric was worn, but it was warm and heavy—perfect for the chilled air and snow just beyond the door. She checked her purse one last time for Pharma’s shopping list and the small cache of money they’d been allotted. She nodded upon confirmation and snapped the case shut with a definite click. One last touch to the ensemble: her hat. First Aid secured the small black boater on the side of her head with a ribbon, and smoothed down the feather.

What lady would be seen in public without her hat?

"Are you ready to go, Miss Aid?" Doctor Ambulon asked, shuffling into his own tattered cloak. He adjusted it over his shoulders, loosening the red scarf around his collar. He pat it down, and grabbed his billfold from the table. "The Pharmacy closes in about two hours. We’re running late as it is."

"Of course, Doctor," Aid answered. She pulled back the curtain of the window and pointed with a smile. "The carriage we called is already waiting."

"Then we should be off," Ambulon said. He opened the door for Aid, like a true gentlemen should, and she stepped off the front porch of the asylum. Her heeled boots crunched in the snow, and she held her dress up to keep it from the wet slush—and perhaps give the good Doctor a peak at her ankles. However, he didn’t rise to the bait and pushed past her. "Let me get the door."

"Thank you, sir," Aid said. Ambulon offered his hand to give her a push up into the carriage, and she took it gladly. His palm was warm, and it fit so perfectly in her own. She hopped down onto the seat, and gave plenty of room for him to sit beside her.

Ambulon sat across from her. On the opposite side.

First Aid huffed inwardly, and clasped her hands in her lap as the carriage pulled forward along the cobbled road. This wasn’t how the day should be going! She and Ambulon only did the shopping once a month. One time a month the two of them got out of that Asylum and away from their live-in quarters and the screaming patients. One day away from Doctor Pharma to be alone. And he was…ignoring her again. First Aid, glanced at kind Ambulon, fiddling with something in his pocket.

Today would be different.

Aid braced herself, and on the first bump in the road, proceeded to spectacularly fall from the seat with a self-propelled push forward. She bruised her elbow hitting the floor, and her dress was rumpled, but Ambulon’s shocked face was worth it.

"Miss Aid!" He shouted. Ambulon scrambled to the floor of the carriage to to help her up. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, fine." Aid leaned against him, and grabbed him by the elbow. She pushed him back into the seat, and sat next to him. Aid smiled, her first victory secured. She clung to his elbow, and made sure her knee brushed along his. "Oh dear, perhaps we should sit together with all these bumps in the road!"

"Of course," Ambulon said. His entire body went tense under her touch, but he didn’t remove her. Aid could settle for that. She leaned in closer, pressing their hips together. Ambulon coughed, and loosened his collar. "Wouldn’t want you to fall again."

"Yes, you’ll keep me safe in my seat, won’t you, Doctor?" Aid said. Ambulon nodded, and bit the side of his lip. Aid tilted her gaze down, and squeezed his arm against her breast. She leaned up close enough to see the blush spreading across his face. "You do a lot of things for me. "

"Well, we do work together," Ambulon answered. He rubbed his fingers harder against his pants, and leaned toward the carriage wall. "We should assist each other. For the best of the asylum, of course."

"Yes, of course," Aid said. She tapped her fingers along his arm as Ambulon kept his gaze straight ahead. Far from the woman pressing herself against him. Aid dropped her shoulders and pouted. This wasn’t working. Different angle: Aid asked, "It’s quite cold out, isn’t it?"

"Very," Ambulon said. He twisted his hand into his pants. "This winter weather surprised us, didn’t it?"

"You know what has always warmed me up?" Aid offered. She pressed the side of her boot against Ambulon’s ankle. "Mulled wine. With all those wonderful spices, it protects from the cold like nothing else. The pub in town has it now, I believe. We should get a glass."

"We’re working, Miss Aid," Ambulon said. He leaned back into the seat, and frowned. "I don’t think Pharma would appreciate us getting drunk while doing his errands."

"Of course not," Aid said. She put her hand on his thigh, and leaned up. He tensed under her forward touch, and finally looked her in the eye. She clutched tightly to him, and inched her hand up his leg. "Just a cup to keep us toasty on errands. Surely you could sit and have a drink with me?"

The carriage stopped.

"We’re here!" Ambulon said, throwing the door open and stumbling out of the carriage. "What good timing! The Pharmacy closes in about an hour, so we really should be moving our way there."

Aid’s arms hung in the air, her hands already missing the warmth that had seeped into his clothes. He walked a few steps ahead, and she smacked the cushion with her first. Just a set back, nothing big. She gathered her purse and her skirt and stomped out of the carriage. They still had the pharmacy and the bread store for her to make a move. Maybe in one of those—no wait. Aid smiled, straightening her hat and cape.

"Doctor," Aid said. She slid her arm in his, locking their elbows as they walked down the street. He seemed to have calmed himself, and her casual hold was accepted. "After the Pharmacy, and our trip to the bakery, I was wondering…"

"Yes, Miss Aid?" Ambulon asked. His strides were even, and he weaved the two of them expertly through the busy street. "What did you need?"

"If we could perhaps make a quick stop after the bakery," Aid said. She put her hand in front of her mouth, and tilted her head to the side. "I’m in need of some feminine items. I haven’t had much chance to pick them up on my own, and I do hate traveling alone and at night."

"Yes, yes, that’s fine," Ambulon said. He smiled a little, and pat her hand resting on his forearm. "We should have time."

"Thank you," First Aid smiled, tightening her hold. If this didn’t get him, nothing would!


	2. Chapter 2

There was something amiss with Miss Aid.

Ambulon drummed his fingers heavily on the counter as the pharmacist filled their drug order for the month. Miss Aid was casually browsing in the back, picking up a bottle here or there. Ambulon covered the bottom of his mouth and leaned on the counter. She kept glancing at him.

Miss Aid was often careless with herself, that was fact. Ambulon blamed the Asylum environment. She was surrounded by men and lunatics. A slip of the skirt above her ankle, or rolled up sleeves were inevitable with such influences. There was nothing to be done but to draw it to her attention, and she’d cover up immediately. Little slips. 

But today, between all the skirt rustling and the touching—Ambulon was starting to think she was doing it  _on purpose._

What had gotten into her?

Ambulon thanked the pharmacist when he handed over the weighty package of bottles and packages of powder. He checked the contents against Miss Aid’s list, and paid the man with the money he’d gotten from Pharma. Ambulon sighed, watching the coins go over the counter. Yet more of their allowance from Mister Tarn gone. He hoped they’d make it back, before they had to ask for another loan from their benefactor.

Ambulon grabbed the box of the counter. No point in worrying about it now. He had other things on his mind.

“Miss Aid, it’s time to go,” Ambulon said over his shoulder.

“Yes!” Miss Aid replied, putting down a bottle and covering her face to hide a blush. “Do you need help, Doctor?”

“No, I’ve got it,” Ambulon said. He passed the list back to Miss Aid and smiled. “But if you’d keep track of that, I’d be grateful.”

“Of course, sir,” She said, snapping it back into her purse. She stayed close to his side as they walked out of the pharmacy, not a moment too soon. The shop closed as they hit the street, and Ambulon breathed out, adjusting the large case in his arms. Miss Aid glanced up. “The bakery is next, isn’t it?”

“That’s right,” Ambulon frowned. He shifted the box under one arm, and held it there with the other, careful not to tip the tightly corked bottles. “Pharma wanted us to scold the Baker, didn’t he?”

“As we should,” Miss Aid said, holding her head up and crossing her arms. “He stiffed us on our last bread delivery!”

“That’s true,” Ambulon said. “If we don’t let him know we noticed, he might do it again.”

“He should refund us as well,” Miss Aid said. She grinned brightly, and clasped her hands together. “Do you think we could get some sweet rolls with that money? I do so love them, and the bread I make back at home just doesn’t taste the same.”

Ambulon couldn’t help the smile that spread on his own face to match Miss Aid’s delighted expression. “Perhaps if you ask nicely, he may share his recipe with you?”

“I rather doubt he’s going to teach me to make something myself that he wants me to buy from him, unless. Oh, Doctor!” Miss Aid said, covering the bottom of her mouth with the tips of her fingers. She lowered her eyes coyly and pulled up the front of her skirt above her ankles in a quick flash. “Are you suggesting I use my feminine charm to seduce the sweet roll recipe out of the baker?”

“What? Of course not!” Ambulon sputtered, nearly dropping the box of drugs. He quickly grabbed it and put it in front of his chest. “I would never suggest such impropriety! I was merely suggesting that it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“I know, silly,” Miss Aid said. She chuckled sweetly, and tapped the side of her cheek. “I was only teasing. Though, it’s more of a joke than you’d think. My feminine charm never seems to do much when I want it, too. I must resemble a common street broad more than I thought.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Miss Aid,” Ambulon said, opening the door to the bakery. She took a few steps in, and between the droop of her shoulders and the hurt look in her eyes, he couldn’t stand it. Proper or not, he couldn’t let this stand. “I don’t know where you’d get such a thought. I’ve always found you quite beautiful, Miss Aid.”

“Do you, do you really think so Doctor?” She jerked her head to the side, as the door closed behind them with the ring of the bell. She played with her fingers, and buried them in the fabric of her skirt. She bit her lip, and asked, “You don’t think I’m a swooning, filthy broad? Do you really think me beautiful? That I’m more than a brooding, pale-skinned woman of the city?”

“Miss Aid,” Ambulon asked, his heart breaking. “Who has called you such things?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Miss Aid said, cupping her hands together. She held her hands over her breast, and grasped the fur lining of her cape. “But, it’s so odd to hear you say that. After all this time, I’d gotten the impression I was indifferent to you. Why have you never said so before?”

“It didn’t feel proper,” Ambulon said. His fingers squeezed the sides of the wooden box. He concentrated on the bottles of drugs. “To say such a thing while we were working.”

“Then what about outside of work? Why never then?” Miss Aid put her hand on his. “A lady likes to hear such things.”

“Excuse me,” the Baker interrupted. “Can I help you?”

Ambulon and Miss Aid parted quickly. He flushed and set his crate on the counter. “Yes, we needed to discuss our delivered order last week.”

“That’s right!” Miss Aid said. “You were late!”

Ambulon took a few steps back as Miss Aid took control of the situation. He stood in awe, as she reduced the baker into a guilt-ridden heap, and not only drew an apology out of him with her sharp words, but got a full refund for the month and the sweet roll recipe. It had all gone so fast, Ambulon had barely said a word.

“I am impressed, Miss Aid,” Ambulon said, balancing the free bag of sweet rolls on the top of the pharmaceuticals, still safe and snug in their case. “Who knew you were such a haggler?”

“Well you know what they say, if the devil can’t get there, you ought to send a woman!” Miss Aid laughed, delighted and re-reading the recipe jotted down on the paper. “I am going to make so many of these.”

“I look forward to eating them, and I bet Pharma enjoys them, too,” Ambulon said. He shifted the box, and paused. “Miss Aid, wasn’t there somewhere else you wanted to go?”

“Yes!” Miss Aid said, turning quickly. She held onto Ambulon’s arm and almost had a bounce in her step. “Just one quick stop around the corner, on sixth street!”

“Sixth street? Are there shops down there?” Ambulon asked, letting himself be dragged behind the excited woman.

“Nothing that you would visit for yourself,” Miss Aid said. She clasped her hands together and sighed. Ambulon was pushed quickly into a small shop, so quickly he didn’t quite catch the name of the store. He froze. Miss Aid rushed past him and lifted up the thinest piece of fabric he’d ever seen in his life. She swooned, holding the under garment in front of her. “It’s been so long since I’ve picked up something for myself, I was beginning to feel like an old maid.”

There were women’s undergarments  _everywhere._  Ambulon crushed the box of drugs to his chest, and almost dropped Miss Aid’s buns. Sweet rolls. _Sweet Rolls._ What sort of place had she brought him? She lifted a night gown that Ambulon swore could only have had six or seven threads of fabric in it. “Miss Aid, perhaps I should wait outside. This isn’t proper.”

“Stop being so squeamish, Doctor,” Miss Aid said. She lifted another piece of fabric, this one a sinful black. She put it down, and went for something with butterfly pattern lace. Miss Aid smiled, happy to browse through things Ambulon should never see! Miss Aid held one up against her dress, modeling it as if she was wearing it. “They’re just clothes. Besides, I can ask your opinion on what to pick!”

“It’s hardly my business what undergarments you wear, Miss Aid,” Ambulon said, his throat tight and his heart pounding. What was she doing? What was he doing? Why hadn’t he left yet!?

“It could be,” he thought he heard her mutter under her breath. Miss Aid turned to another stand with silks and cotton pantalets. She lifted another lacy little thing, and held it between her hands. She whispered, “Oh, this would be perfect for a wedding night…”

Ambulon had the feeling he wasn’t meant to hear that. He turned sharply away from her, and focused instead on a red silk outfit. The little ruffled lace was pretty, and it suited—Ambulon closed his eyes. “Perhaps you should pick something warmer. A full body gown. With a robe. The Asylum does get cold at night.”

“I want to feel like a lady, Doctor,” Miss Aid said behind him. “Not a patient.”

“I hardly doubt anyone mistakes you for one of our patients,” Ambulon said, licking his lips.

“Well, I’m done now,” Miss Aid said. “So you can stop squirming.”

Ambulon opened his eyes in time to see Miss Aid holding a tiny bundle of clothes, including the spider-thread masquerading as a dress. He looked at the red outfit on the stand. It was much better—Miss Aid caught his glance. She grabbed it too, and headed to the counter to pay.

Miss Aid took her carefully wrapped bundle, hiding the underwear away, and Ambulon tried to remember how to breathe.

They were halfway to the carriage when Miss Aid spoke again. She clutched her bag to her chest, and he could see her breathing increase. Her fingers twitched, and she swallowed. “I know I’ve already asked too much, but would you mind one more stop?”

“Where did you have in mind?” Ambulon asked, hoping it wasn’t too much. The drugs he was carrying felt twice as heavy as they had at the beginning of the shopping trip. The sweet smell of the rolls in the bag weren’t exactly without their temptation, either. “Not another clothing shop, I hope?”

“No, I wanted to stop by and pick up a bottle of wine, and some spices,” she said. “I have some personal savings, and I would like to make some mulled wine for the Asylum. I think it would suit such a cold night.”

“That sounds fine,” Ambulon said. If that’s what Miss Aid wanted to spend her precious allowance on, who was he to stop her? “Mulled wine it is.”

“And you have to drink it with me,” she added quickly. She looked so hopeful. “Drinking alone is awful.”

“Yes, yes it is,” Ambulon said, thinking of their head Doctor and his nights alone in the Asylum when he thought no one was watching. “Of course I’ll share a drink with you.”

“Then it’s agreed,” Miss Aid said. “Come now, hurry up!”

“I’m coming,” Ambulon said. He adjusted the package one last time and tried to keep up with Miss Aid.


	3. Chapter 3

First Aid had sworn that today would be different.

But all she’d managed, was to make Ambulon embarrassed and distant. He’d even placed the baggage from their shipping trip between them on the carriage ride back. First Aid held her breath, as she stood naked in her room. She bit her lip, and undid the tie on her personal purchase. She had mulled wine heating on the stove, almost ready for the waiting Ambulon who was even now tending a fire in their sitting room. 

Now it was her turn to get ready.

Her hands trembled as she donned the red silk undershirt and matching pantalets. She pressed down on the delicate ruffles as they laid on her bare skin and sucked in a breath. Aid could feel the cold air on her bare shoulders and ankles. She was so exposed, but—she could do this. She could do it. Aid pulled on her corset and tied it loosely. Not much point to all this if he couldn’t get it off her. First Aid pulled her dress on over top, and looked at herself in the mirror. She would be fine.

First Aid marched down the hallways in her high boots, ignoring the shaking bars and screams of their ever present patients as she headed to the kitchen. She pushed inside and stirred the pot of simmering mulled wine. The smell of cinnamon and orange was heavenly. She poured it into a large jug, and made a tray ready. The wine, two large glasses, and of course: a few sweet rolls.

She tried not to tremble as she carried the tray to Pharma’s sitting room.

Ambulon was waiting in a chair, the fire brought to a roar as promised. His scarf was on the table, and the top button of his shirt undone. Aid placed the tray on the table, and poured two large cups. She looked at the exposed chest, and caught her breath.  _Not yet._  Aid handed over Ambulon’s drink with a tiny bow. “I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Ambulon said, taking the glass. He smelled it deeply, and Aid took the moment to appreciate his chest as he breathed. He sipped it, and sighed. “This is good.”

“Isn’t it?” First Aid said, taking a deep sip of the warm liquid. She could smell the cinnamon, and it burned on the way down her throat. The smell of home gave her comfort, she looked at Ambulon, and strength. Aid turned the glass in her hand, sighing deeply. “My mother used to make this. It reminds me of my childhood.”

“That sounds lovely,” Ambulon said. He smiled softly, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. “We didn’t have many warm drinks when I was young. We were lucky to have water.”

“Oh, Doctor. I’m so, so sorry,” Aid said. She clutched the glass, and took another deep drink. “With your manners, I often forget that life was not so easy for you.”

“Please don’t worry about it,” Ambulon said. He reached across and pat Aid’s arm. Ambulon took another warm gulp of the drink, and smiled again, but this time a little wider. “It makes me happy to know that others had it better than I. That there could be a better life.”

“And there is,” First Aid said. She warmed her hands with the glass, rubbing it under her palms. “You seem to be doing better, so I do hope that it’s true.”

“I am,” Ambulon said. He tipped the glass back and finished off the drink. Aid hurried to refill it for him, and he thanked her. “Working here with you and Doctor Pharma, has definitely been a pleasure.”

“Well, I’m happy to be working with you,” First Aid said, “and Doctor Pharma, too, even if I am a little out of place.”

“It is very admirable,” Ambulon said. “It can’t be easy being the only woman here, aside from the female patients.”

“Those poor lost souls,” Aid said. She took another quick sip of her drink. “I worry sometimes, that I may join them. They’re so hysterical, lost and depressed…and I am just thankful for how lucky I am that I can bear more burden.”

“I feel those women, are suffering demons far worse than anything you will ever have to bear,” Ambulon said. He touched her hand, the warmth from the drink spreading to his fingers. “I don’t think you have to worry.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Aid turned her hand over to hold Ambulon’s. “It’s quite terrifying sometimes, but I suppose…I suppose it gives me strength sometimes as well, doesn’t it?”

“I’d never know you to be afraid,” Ambulon said, squeezing her hand before letting go. He went back to cupping his drink. “You’re so very strong in there when you deal with patients. It never fails to impress me.”

“I’m always scared, of some many things, you know. But, I don’t want to be another little lady waiting patiently for a husband. My mother was an inspiring woman.” First Aid took a deep gulp of her glass, and placed the cup on the table. She folded her hands in her lap, and sat up straighter. “I would be ashamed to be her daughter, if all I did was to sit and weave. To merely do nothing more than look pretty. But you don’t want to hear those things, even if I am so happy that you think me strong. And I’m happy that we’re both here. Cheers to that, yes?”

“Yes,” Ambulon said, lifting his glass up. “Cheers to Miss Aid’s proper independence.”

They clicked their glasses together and both finished off their cups. Aid looked at her own, “It seems I’ve reached the bottom, and yet I’m so cold already.”

Ambulon looked at the pitcher on the table and shrugged. “Tomorrow is our day off, isn’t it? So why not pour one last glass?”

First Aid held out her glass eagerly as Ambulon poured both of them a new glass. Ambulon put the pitcher down and sat in his seat. They drank quietly for a few moments, First Aid taking tiny sips to keep her senses about her, and Ambulon drinking comfortably.

After a few moments, Ambulon undid another button on his shirt. He shifted in the chair, ignoring First Aid’s little gasp. He said, “It’s getting a bit warm, now, isn’t it?”

First Aid undid the buttons of her cuffs, knowing that her cheeks were flushing heavily. “You did put quite a bit of wood on the fire, didn’t you?”

“Perhaps,” Ambulon answered. He slid down in his seat, the fabric of his shirt moving out of the way. She could see the scars and the patches of discolored flesh across his torso, and was almost ashamed by the little jump of excitement she got being able to see them. Ambulon closed his eyes, and sighed heavily. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“It really does,” Aid said. She sucked in a deep breath and put her hand on her waist. If she was going to do it, there was no better time. First Aid stood on shaky legs. “You really warmed up the room, Doctor.”

“Warm is nice,” Ambulon said, breathing softly and eyes still shut. His grip on the glass loosened, but he kept it from falling. “I wish all our nights could be this soothing.”

First Aid pulled the lace on the back of her dress quietly, her eyes on the dear Doctor. She prayed that his eyes would stay shut until she was ready. She dropped it to the floor. It fell in a soft heap, the crumpled fabric almost forgotten at her feet. “They could be, Doctor.”

“I doubt the patients would cooperate,” Ambulon said, chuckling quietly. He sipped from his glass and set it back on his knee. “They tend to run on their own schedule.”

“You said ‘Our’ nights, Doctor,” First Aid said. She stepped out of the base of her dress, and stumbled when her foot was caught in the fabric. She threw her head toward Ambulon. His eyes were still shut. She pulled her foot free, and stood up straight. First Aid covered her bosom with her hands, her fingers digging into the thick frills of the lacy red undergarment. Her shoulders were bare. She could do this. First Aid stood in front of Ambulon. “I wasn’t thinking of the rest of the asylum.”

“Considering our nights are usually wrought with the care of our patients, I only assumed,” Ambulon opened his eyes. First Aid watched them widen to the size of saucers. “Oh. Miss Aid. Y-your dress.”

“Do you like it?” Aid said, sneaked a single hand down from her breast to her stomach. She trembled as he tensed. “I-I saw you looking at it. Does it look good on me?”

“The undergarments from the store. Yes. They look lovely,” Ambulon said, covering his eyes with his hand. His breath increased and he licked his lips. “But, perhaps it is late. Definitely time for the two of us to retire. Please put your dress back on.”

“I don’t want to,” Aid said. She stood between his legs and reached up to pull his hand away from his face. She held it tightly between her hands. “I went to so much trouble to take it off for you.”

Her heart beat like a hummingbird’s wings, frantic and too fast for her to keep up with. Aid had dreamed of this for so long, but not that it was here—her confidence was slipping away like water through a grate. Aid pleaded, “I’m so cold, Doctor. Every night. But on the inside, I’m burning. Please.”

“I don’t think I can help you, Miss Aid,” Ambulon said, shaking his head.

“But you can,” Aid replied. She touched the sleeve on his arm. “You could embrace me. Warm my outsides to match the fire burning so brightly on the inside.”

“But why me?” Ambulon said, his eyes wide. He flattened himself to the chair, trying to get very inch he could between the two of them. “Why not—why not. He’s so fond of you.”

“I’ve never been as fond of him, as he has been of me,” First Aid said. She slid down, and sat on one of his legs, and his hands flinched. His glass dropped, spilling the cooled wine across the floor. First Aid trembled, and bit the bottom of her lip. “Would you rather have  _him_ hold me?”

“I don’t know,” Ambulon said. His hands gripped the arms of the chairs, and his breath sped up. “He’d just be better for you. He’s talented, and handsome. He’s the bet-”

“You’re talented, and handsome,” First Aid said, stopping Ambulon from saying his next word. She shook her head. Pharma was  _not_  the better man. He never would be. First Aid caressed his face. “Ambulon. Ambulon, you’re also kind. And gentle.”

“I try to be at least one of those things,” Ambulon said, biting his lip. He laughed bitterly, something caught in his throat. “I don’t think those other descriptions suit me very well.”

“But they do, and I know it,” Aid said. She wrapped her arms around Ambulon’s neck, trembling heavily. He was sturdy, and warm. She held tightly and breathed into his neck. “Please, please hold me. At least this once?”

Ambulon touched her waist, his hands shaking as badly as she. His nerves equally on edge. “If-if that’s what you want.”

“I’ve waited so long for this,” Aid said. She relaxed, sighing deeply. She rested heavily on his chest, their bare skin divided by only the thinest piece of fabric. She sucked in a breath, hugging him tight. “I’ve waited so long for this, please.”

“I could never even imagine,” Ambulon said, tightening his hold. “That anyone would dare be waiting for me.”

“Every night,” Aid said, pulling her legs up, curling into his body. She buried her face in his shoulder and shook. Aid wanted to disappear inside of him. She wanted him to disappear inside of her. Aid had dreamed of this for so long. “I’ve waited for you every single night.”

Ambulon rubbed her back, and pulled her waist in. He whispered in her ear, “I’m so sorry.”

“Then, please.” First Aid dug her fingers into his shirt, and kissed the side of his cheek. “Please.”

“Please what?” Ambulon said as his breath picked up. He whispered. “I’m not sure what you want from me.”

“Anything,” she said. Aid kissed his cheek again, with a tad more urgency in the motion. Her heart hammered so hard, she thought it may leap out of her chest. Aid let out a shaky breath. “Anything that you want.”

“I don’t know what I want,” Ambulon said. He held her waist tightly, and his face dropped, red with shame. “I’ve never. I’ve never been with a woman this way.”

“I’ve never been with a man this way,” First Aid said. She blushed heavily and kissed him hard on the mouth. She pulled her knees up on the chair, and licked his lips. She breathed heavily into his mouth, and held onto his shoulders. She bumped their noses together, and spoke into his mouth. “But I’ve read enough to get the idea.”

“You’re a step above me,” Ambulon said. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together again. Gently, and unsure.

“But you’re a doctor,” Aid said, nipping his lips. She played with the back of his collar, and chuckled. “Shouldn’t you know more?”

 “I specialized in trauma care.” His hand wandered to her thigh and squeezed. He kissed her again, as he pulled her into his lap. “Injuries. And after that, screaming patients. This didn’t come up much.”

“Yes, like that,” Aid whimpered. She squirmed up on his lap, so that she straddled his legs more properly. Aid sat up a bit, keeping just so much distance between. Instead, she slid her hand under his collar, and whined, finally able to touch the scar just beneath his collar. “Oh, Ambulon. Please, please touch me more.”

Ambulon answered her plea, and bucked up to press their waists together. She rolled into him, instinct guiding, and clung as tightly as possible. Ambulon touched her arms, and clung to her waist. His hands couldn’t decide where to settle. Aid chuckled, and kissed the top of his head.

“My-my bodice,” Aid said. She took his hand and put it on her back, and pushed his fingers into the loose laces. “You can take it off. Please.”

“First Aid,” Ambulon said. His voice was choked, and he waited for exactly a minute before his hands scrambled to undo the laces of her bodice. He sat up straighter, and she grabbed onto him. He pulled her bodice off, and she breathed heavily as the warm air hit her skin. “I need you.”

“And I need you,” Aid said. She gasped as he pulled down her top, revealing her chest. He kissed the top of her breast ever so gently. She held the back of his neck, and kissed the top of his head, pulling him closer. She rolled her hips harder into his, and squeezed her legs. He moaned into her chest, and she could almost feel his breath touch her heart. “Ambulon. Need you. I need you, please.”

He stopped, still trembling and breathing heavily, but he stopped. Ambulon asked, “A-are we, are we doing this?”

Aid whined, and clutched at the back of his head. Tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t. He couldn’t. Not now. Not when she was so close, and her heart was beating so heavily, and every inch of her felt like it was on fire. Aid clutched his head into her breast. “Please, don’t. Don’t leave me now. Don’t stop.”

“I don’t think I could if I tried,” Ambulon whispered, voice thick in his throat. “But not here.”

Aid helped as he stood, drawing her into a bridal hold. He looked more sure. the determined look in his eyes—that hungry gaze—stopped her breath. “Not here.”

“Not in Pharma’s sitting room. Not out in the open.” He tightened his hold and strode across the room. He kneeled, resting Aid on one knee and held her close. He gathered her dress in her lap, and Aid held it, unsure of what else to do. Ambulon doused the fire with the waiting jug of water. He slammed it on the table, and stood. He swept Aid back into his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. “I refuse to make love to you for the first time in a cheap chair in the common room.”

“Then take me to your room,” Aid said, wrapping her arms around his neck again. Her legs hung in the air, and her dress flared out, resting on his shoulder. She cuddled closer, nuzzling into his chest. “I’ve been waiting so long for you to keep me warm.”


	4. Chapter 4

Ambulon had never seen a woman naked before. 

He sucked in a breath, and licked his lips. That wasn’t true. He had never seen a naked woman before who wasn’t some form of injured, bleeding, or screaming in a fit while she tried to rip out his eyes. It was work, and often he was struck by how ugly they could be, whether from their insides pouring on the table, or the wild look in their eyes from demons he couldn’t see.

Ambulon didn’t know they could look like this. He never knew they could be such angelic creatures. Soft and flushed red. Smooth skin on her breasts and shoulders. Ambulon’s heart raced in his chest as he hovered over this beautiful woman. Her belly and limbs covered in silky hair. Ambulon’s breath caught, eyes searching over her. She looked like a doll, delicate and precious.

“Are you only going to look?” Miss Aid asked, tilting her head back and baring her neck. The red of her hair fell on the pillow, and her eye lids lowered. She shifted on the mattress, sprawled out under him. She held onto his open shirt, one hand on either side, and raised her knee to bump against his leg. “I said you could do anything you wanted, and this is how you chose to use that permission? Bare me to the world, and then do nothing but look?”

Ambulon chuckled, looking away. His eyes landed on the red undergarments, tossed to the floor without a care. He bit his lip, and almost smiled. “I’m so struck by awe, I’m not even sure where to start, Miss Aid.”

“You should start calling me by my given name, Doctor,” Miss Aid murmured. She pressed a finger through the button hole on his shirt. “I won’t be a ‘miss’ for much longer, will I?”

“No, I suppose not,” Ambulon said. He held her hip, and rubbed his thumb along the line of hair that led to warm places down below. He leaned down and kissed her neck, pulling her into himself. Her bare skin met his trousers, and he sighed. “I’m a little over dressed for this.”

“I sort of like it,” Aid said, slipping her hands behind his shirt, and hugging him against her. Her fingers played along his spine, and he scooted up, to press their foreheads together. She whispered, “I’ve had so many dreams of you just, dropping everything to take me against a wall, that you couldn’t be bothered to undress. It’s just like one of those.”

“First Aid!” Amubulon yelped, laughing into her shoulder. He kissed it, and trembled as she rolled her hips into his. “How could you say such a thing?”

“I’ve waited too long to not say it,” she said in all seriousness. She grabbed his face and pulled him down into a deeper kiss. She asked, in nearly an order, “Keep them on.”

“If you insist,” Ambulon answered. He rested on her, pulling her breasts against his own bare chest. He could feel her heart beating just past her ribcage, and he held tight, covering them both in the loose shirt that hung around them. Her hips bucked into his, and her leg wrapped around the back of his own. “Whatever you want.”

“I want you, no,” she breathed heavily. She pulled at his hair, and rubbed her waist against him. Her hand slid down his chest and pulled at the front of his trousers. “Need you. I need you inside of me. Please, this waiting is torment, Ambulon.”

“First Aid,” Ambulon breathed. He put his hand over hers, and helped her fingers undo the button that kept him captive. Her hand disappeared behind the fabric before he could stop it. He pressed his hand against the back of hers as she cupped him, and dropped his head into her shoulder. He grit his teeth and whimpered as she explored. “First Aid.”

“Now,” she said, her breath picking up. Ambulon was helpless as First Aid did the work herself. She was the guide, and before he could so much as plead that she be gentle, he was lost in her. She whimpered in his ear, a hiss of pain, as she clung to him. “Move. Now, please.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Ambulon said.

He moved.

First Aid bruised his back. Her fingers dug in so deep and so tight as his hips moved, that he could feel the blood vessels shattering. They were both quiet, which stunned him. Tiny gasps, and murmured moans and whispers. They were so, so quiet, for what was quite possibly the most intense moment of his life. Her sweat under his hands, the hair of her belly mixing with his own. The way she bucked, and the way she felt.

The heat, and the madness. Ambulon could die this way and still be satisfied.

“There, there,” First Aid whispered in his ear. She took in all of him, as far as he could go. It was if she were trying to merge them into a single being. Ambulon was willing to let her. “Deeper, Ambulon.”

He could only grunt in response, grabbing her hips and pulling down. If he couldn’t push forward to her, he’d bring her down to him. She yelped in surprise, and started to giggle as she moved a loose piece of fabric from his trousers away from her hip. She kissed his cheek and dug her fingers into his hair. “Better.”

Ambulon licked his lips, and kept the steady rocking moving. He was unable to think much farther past that. “If you say so, it must be true.”

First Aid kissed him, nipping at the bottom of his lips. They were joined together. Mouth, chest, belly, and waist. Their legs were tangled, and they were joined as one.

He could have stayed this way for eternity, and more.

But, despite his dearest wishes, their coupling was passionate, but brief—to Ambulon’s eternal embarrassment.

First Aid didn’t seem to mind, however, to his relief. She sighed happily, locked in his embrace as if there were no where else she’d rather be in the world. First Aid rested her head on his collarbone, and stroked his side with clever fingers. She had cleaned them both with a warm rag a few moments before, and instead of returning to her own room, First Aid had joined him on the bed. Ambulon pulled the blanket over them both, and wrapped his arms around her.

“This was worth waiting for,” First Aid whispered into his skin. Her thumb pressed along a bruise, and she hugged him tighter. “I’m so happy, Ambulon.”

“I as well.” He rested his chin on her head, and squeezed her closer. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting for so long.”

“As long as you don’t do it again,” First Aid said, yawning into his skin. “I’ll forgive you.”

Ambulon kissed her head, and promised.


End file.
